We are surrounded by plants everywhere. Their variety, aroma, color delight and fascinate. Many of the plants have unusual healing properties, a variety of legends are associated with them. Herbs have been successfully used to treat a wide variety of pathologies: from simple healing of wounds to cancer therapy. Many drugs are made on the basis of plants. One of the most unusual is the flower of Ivan da Marya. He has bright yellow-blue flowers.
Once upon a time, Slavic peoples believed that heavenly and earthly were united in this plant: it was in his power to unite man with the gods. On the holiday of Ivan Kupala, the flower of Ivan da Maryu was torn off. At this time, he was turning into a symbol of sacred marriage. Blue color is considered a shade of the bride, and yellow - the groom. This plant is considered a grass of strength. It helps to achieve harmony, to bring all that is missing to a person.
What does the plant look like
The flower of Ivan da Marya is a herbaceous plant that is found in meadows and clearings. It can be seen near the bushes, on the forest edges, near the swamps. It has a lot of names among the people: oak grove, sister and brother, jaundice, Ivan-grass and many others.
The flower of Ivan da Marya is not very tall - about twenty centimeters. The roots are arranged in a special way: they have suckers on them, with which it is attached to neighboring plants and feeds on their juice. Because of this property, it is considered semi-parasite.
The stem of the plant is straight, covered with white hairs. All flowers are arranged one on the legs, turned in one direction. Where the yellow flowers are located on Ivan da Maria, there is a sheet of blue.
After flowering, the fruit ripens, which looks like a seed. They are collected by ants and transferred to other places. Because of this feature, the plant is often found along ant paths.
The legend of a flower and a goblin
Associated with the flower of Ivan da Marya legend. It says that once upon a time there lived a goblin in a dense forest. People considered him shaggy, with hooves, eared, with crooked legs. To which he always replied that his shaggyness was caused by tree spines through which he had to make his way. He had no friends, he was not afraid of loneliness, did not know love, he always fought with rivals, drove them out of the woods. But once a goblin fell in love: he saw a violet Mary floating in a stream. He walked beside her, inhaled her scent, looked. He gained the courage to say about his love. There is a violet, flaunts, doesn’t even look at the goblin, he was upset. He took such an attitude and foolishly said: "I am fascinated by you, I cannot see life without you, marry me." But the violet only looked at him and turned away. Goblin tried to surprise her, boasted. He invited her to collect all the stars in a hat. But even this violet rejected, saying that the stars better shine from the sky, so that she and her husband would be illuminated by the path. Violet told the devil about her feelings for another, that she loves Ivan and that she will live with him.
When the time came, Maryushka and Ivan got married, healed together with one flower. Since then, neither Maryushka nor Ivanushka separately became in the forest, but only the beautiful flower of Ivan da Marya.
The story of Kupala and Kostroma
Another legend talks about fidelity and love. It speaks of how, on the summer solstice, the god Semargl saw the goddess Swimsuit. They had children: Kostroma and Kupala.
Once geese swans flew by and stole Kupala, carried away to distant lands. Years passed. One fine day Kostroma walked by the river, putting a wreath on her head. She told her friends that no one could ever pick a wreath from her head. For these words, the gods were angry at her, tore a wreath from the wind and carried her into the river. According to custom, with someone who picks up a wreath, the girl should get married. At that time, Kupala sailed past the wreath and caught a wreath. They got married and only after the wedding did the young learn that they were brother and sister, but had already managed to fall in love with each other. In order not to part, Kostroma and Kupala decided to drown themselves. The gods have mercy on them and turned them into a flower of Ivan da Marya, so that they are always together.
Plant species
Ivan da Maria belong to the family of Marianniki. In total there are thirteen species, of which the following species grow in central Russia:
- Mariannik oak. It is called Ivan da Marya grass.
- Type of field.
- Forest Mariannik.
- Type of meadow.
- Cut Mariannik.
The benefits of grass
The plant Ivan da Maryu has long been used in folk medicine. With it make lotions, prepare infusions for therapeutic baths, make decoctions. Prepared preparations help with skin diseases, neuralgia, dizziness. Ivan da Maria helps to cope with diseases of the CVD and gastrointestinal tract. Also, infusions and decoctions have a wound healing, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory effect. Successfully treat scabies, depression, rheumatism with grass.
